A/N: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It's time to wrap things up with Trivia Murder Party! The next chapter (whenever it comes out) will be FNAF songs (cause I know you guys really want those), and then I think I'll tackle how UCN will play out in my fic. I imagine it'll actually end up being a Black Comedy type of plotline, something that has happened with surprisingly low frequency in this fic, all things considered.
I also made a brief edit in the previous chapter since I wrote one of the Killing Grounds games improperly. You can try and find the mistake if you really want to, but it doesn't have a significant impact on how the game played out anyway.
But first things first, we need to finish the final round. If you liked Dark!Mike and Demon!Mike, I think this chapter will tickle your fancy quite nicely. If you REALLY want to set the mood for this chapter, I have provided timestamps to show which parts of this chapter are most closely aligned with the various parts of the Trivia Murder Party 2 theme. It's a little extra work, admittedly, but trust me when I say it will really make a difference :) There is a comment by Green Rabbit/Mr. Phantaze on the video that helpfully provides linked timestamps to make this easier for you.
Chapter 91 – Trivia Murder Party Part 3
When the ghost kids finally stopped falling and the light returned, they immediately realized that they were standing in the exact same rectangular chamber that they had been in the last time, even standing on the exact same spot on the balcony. The walls were once again lined with hideous demonic skulls with elongated jaws, only this time the children knew exactly what the purpose of those skulls was for. Somehow, that knowledge didn't comfort them in the slightest. The only player who was a stranger to this new room was Nightmarionne, who glanced over the chamber with mild interest. Though he hadn't seen the grotesque flamethrowers yet, he was certain that he knew what those macabre decorations were for.
And just as it had before, the dark, intense music from before began to play around them, signaling the beginning of the final round.
[[NOTE: Begin playing Trivia Murder Party 2 Final Round theme by Andy Poland (use the official YouTube video). For maximum immersion and setting the mood, begin looping 0:00-0:48 (Here we go again)]]
"So you're the one who's made it here alive," Mike declared. "But will you be the one to escape?"
Everyone watched as the living Nightmarionne plushie was moved a few rows into the chamber next to the opposite wall, 12 spaces away from the other side. The ghosts had immediately noticed that Mike had moved the plushie in farther than he had moved Gabe's plushie in originally, but before they could protest, the ghost plushies were moved into place, this time in the same positions that they were in after Gabe had answered the first question in the last round. Charlie's Puppet was 18 spaces away from the exit, Gabe was 19 spaces away, and Susie was 20 spaces away, while the rest of the ghosts were left at the leftmost edge of the room.
"Here's your first category."
MOONS OF JUPITER
Chaldene, Chantaloup, Cornillide
Ghost and demon alike stared at the question. "WHAT THE FUCK," Nightmarionne was the first to break the silence.
"Couldn't you have started us off with an easy question, at least?" Jeremy protested.
"…we're all gonna die, aren't we?" Cassidy asked gloomily.
"Time for some more random guessing, yay…" Gabe deadpanned.
Chaldene, XXXXXX, XXXXXX
Nightmarionne: X✓ (to 11 spaces from the exit)
Charlie: ✓X✓ (to 16)
Gabe: X✓X (to 18)
Susie: XX✓ (to 19)
Liz: ✓✓X (to 19)
Cassidy: XX✓ (to 20)
Jeremy: X✓✓ (to 19)
Fritz: ✓XX (to 20)
Liz sighed with relief. "Oh, thank God, I'll take two."
Gabe didn't look happy, however. "If every question Dad asks is like this, then NONE of us are going to survive!"
Nightmarionne's plushie moved up one space, and the ghost plushies slowly advanced down the chamber with a spectral echo.
[[NOTE: For maximum immersion, loop 0:48 - 1:36 (Not only ghosts behind you)]]
"Next question," Mike growled.
PLURAL NOUNS
Alumnus, Analyses, Millennia
Jeremy brightened when he saw the question. "Oh okay, this one I can answer."
"I…think it's this one?" Fritz speculated.
"Thank God for Dad's grammar lessons," Charlie remarked.
XXXXXX, Analyses, Millennia
Nightmarionne: ✓✓ (to 9 spaces from the exit)
Charlie: ✓✓✓ (to 13)
Gabe: ✓✓✓ (to 15)
Susie: ✓✓✓ (to 16)
Liz: ✓✓✓ (to 16)
Cassidy: X✓✓ (to 18)
Jeremy: ✓✓✓ (to 16)
Fritz: X✓✓ (to 18)
Gabe smirked. "Easy."
"Oh, crap!" Fritz smacked his forehead with his hand. "I screwed up one!"
"Join the club," Cassidy muttered.
"Didn't Dad give us only three questions last time before he started blasting the flames?" Fritz asked. The two kids looked at each other with a horrified realization.
"We better get this next one right…" the former Golden Freddy inhabitant murmured.
EGYPTIAN GODS/GODDESSES
Apollo, Nut, Anubis
"Yay, another easy one!" Liz exclaimed. "Reading the Kane Chronicles makes this one a lot easier!"
"Two of these I know for sure," Gabe remarked. "But I'm not sure about the third one…"
Fritz smirked. "A Goddess named Nut? Kind of a crap name, when you think about it."
Susie groaned when she realized what her brother was saying. "Really, Fritz?"
XXXXXX, Nut, Anubis
Nightmarionne: ✓✓ (to 7 spaces from the exit)
Charlie: ✓✓✓ (to 10)
Gabe: ✓✓✓ (to 12)
Susie: ✓X✓ (to 14)
Liz: ✓✓✓ (to 13)
Cassidy: ✓✓✓ (to 15)
Jeremy: ✓X✓ (to 14)
Fritz: ✓✓✓ (to 15)
"Wait, Nut was actually one of them?" Fritz exclaimed. "I only picked that one as a joke!"
"We got ahead a few rows, at least," Cassidy breathed a sigh of relief.
"Charlie isn't too far away from Nightmarionne," Jeremy pointed out. "She might be able to catch up to him."
Nightmarionne sneered. "ANY FOOL CAN ANSWER THE EASY QUESTIONS CORRECTLY," he hissed. "BUT HOW WILL THE GAME UNFOLD WHEN HE BRINGS OUT THE HARD ONES?"
"And speaking of a harder game…" Mike added with vicious delight in his tone. The demonic skull statues in the first four rows unleashed their hellish flames, devouring the entire farthest left side of the hallway in an inferno. Though the ghosts weren't taken by surprise this time around, having already witnessed this once in the last final round, it was no less disturbing. Nightmarionne, by contrast, seemed mildly intrigued by what he was witnessing, though he made no comment on it. And just like it had before, the ominous music began to pick up in intensity, a sign that the final round had now truly begun.
Wall of Flame: 18 spaces from the exit.
"There is nothing but shadow and flame in your future," Mike hissed.
[[NOTE: Begin looping 1:36-2:24 (The Thrill Thickens)]]
GALAXIES
Cigar Galaxy, Tadpole Galaxy, Andromeda
Nightmarionne sneered. "OF COURSE YOU BRATS GET THE EASY ONE."
"That doesn't help us when we don't know the other two!" Gabe retorted.
"There's no way!" Susie shook her head. "Dad has to be making this up!"
"At this point, I don't even know anymore," Liz groaned.
Cigar Galaxy, Tadpole Galaxy, Andromeda
Nightmarionne: XX (at 7)
Charlie: XX✓ (to 9)
Gabe: XX✓ (to 11)
Susie: XX✓ (to 13)
Liz: ✓X✓ (to 11)
Cassidy: XX✓ (to 14)
Jeremy: XX✓ (to 13)
Fritz: XX✓ (to 14)
"It was ALL of them?" Fritz exclaimed in disbelief. "What the hell?"
"Wow, we ALL got screwed there…" Jeremy mumbled.
"We're fucked, Fritz…" Cassidy groaned as the statues flanking two more rows blasted out their walls of unholy flames.
Wall of Flame: 16 spaces from the exit.
POISONOUS PLANTS
Lily of the Valley, Poison Oak, Bittersweet Nightshade
"Oh, wow…" Gabe deadpanned. "Hmm…I wonder if the plant called Poison Oak is poisonous."
"I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that Nightshade was poisonous," Charlie mused. "Not sure about that Lily plant though."
"A plant with a name that badass, there's no way it's not poisonous," Jeremy declared.
"Lily's such a pretty name," Lily commented as she put in her answers.
Lily of the Valley, Poison Oak, Bittersweet Nightshade
Nightmarionne: ✓✓ (to 5)
Charlie: ✓✓✓ (to 6)
Gabe: ✓✓✓ (to 8)
Susie: X✓✓ (to 11)
Liz: X✓✓ (to 9)
Cassidy: ✓✓✓ (to 11)
Jeremy: X✓✓ (to 11)
Fritz: X✓✓ (to 12)
"I'M A DEMON LORD OF HELL," Nightmarionne drawled. "IF I DIDN'T GET THIS RIGHT, I'D NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT!"
"Aww man, I missed the Lily question!" Susie complained.
"Look!" Liz pointed out. "Charlie's only one space away from Nightmarionne!"
"That ghost can smell your life force!" Mike pointed out gleefully.
The demonic puppet sneered. "COME AND BEST ME THEN, LITTLE PUPPET GIRL, IF YOU THINK YOU CAN."
"I am not in a good spot right now," Fritz mumbled as the flames consumed two more rows. The way things stood, if he got a question completely wrong, he was done for.
Wall of Flame: 14 spaces from the exit.
[[NOTE: Begin looping 2:24-3:12 (The Dark Pressure)]]
BOWLING TERMINOLOGY
Hambone, Pick and Roll, Five-Bagger
"…Get the fuck out of here, dad!" the former Foxy inhabitant cried out in frustration. "Are you TRYING to kill me?"
"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW THIS!" Nightmarionne cursed.
"I don't think any of us are moving very far with this one," Cassidy muttered.
"Only things I know about bowling are strike and spare," Jeremy sighed. "And that's only cause I talked to Alex about it for a few minutes one day."
Hambone, XXXXXX, Five-Bagger
Nightmarionne: XX (at 5)
Charlie: ✓XX (to 5)
Gabe: X✓X (to 7)
Susie: ✓X✓ (to 9)
Liz: XX✓ (to 8)
Cassidy: X✓X (at 10)
Jeremy: ✓✓X (to 9)
Fritz: XX✓ (to 11)
Charlie's ghostly plushie inched forward until it was right underneath the still Nightmarionne plushie. There was a flash of light, and the Puppet plushie came back to life as the demon lord's was pushed back one space, turning into a ghost.
"Nice going, Charlie!" Liz cheered.
"Good job!" Gabe complimented.
Charlie smiled faintly, but she didn't allow herself to let her guard down. "It's not over yet," she warned, talking to herself as much as her family.
Nightmarionne narrowed his eyes at her. "HOW RIGHT YOU ARE…" he growled. He had always been one of the most competitive Nightmares when it came to games, something that was now plainly there for all to see.
"Better get moving, if you want to keep that life force that you just stole," Mike mockingly advised.
More flames consumed the hallway, and Fritz yelped as he realized that his Foxy plushie was just one space away from being devoured by the inferno that was approaching them. Cassidy was just as uneasy as her brother, as her Golden Freddy plushie was also dangerously close to the flames.
Wall of Flame: 12 spaces from the exit
TALLER THAN THE EIFFEL TOWER
CN Tower, Willis Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa
"Ooh!" Susie gasped excitedly. "We were talking about really tall towers with Alex and Meghan a few days ago!"
"Yeah, but which ones were taller than the Eiffel Tower?" Jeremy wondered.
"Willis is that one in Chicago, right?" Liz asked.
"I think. But I've never heard of the CN Tower!" Cassidy exclaimed.
"Time's running out," Mike growled. The kids frantically put in their answers.
CN Tower, Willis Tower, XXXXXX
Nightmarionne: ✓✓✓ (to 3)
Charlie: X✓ (to 4)
Gabe: ✓X✓ (to 5)
Susie: XX✓ (to 7)
Liz: ✓✓✓ (to 5)
Cassidy: ✓X✓ (to 8)
Jeremy: XX✓ (to 8)
Fritz: XX✓ (to 10)
This time, it was Charlie's Puppet plushie that crawled forward to the exit, and Nightmarionne's spectral plushie that zoomed past her, claiming her life force in the process. "AH, BACK IN THE LEAD, RIGHT WHERE I BELONG!" Nightmarionne cackled.
"Dammit!" Charlie swore in frustration. "I can't be screwing up this close to the end!"
The eyes of the demonic skulls flanking the next two rows flared menacingly, and unleashed their unholy fires. "NOOOOOO!" Fritz cried out as his ghostly Foxy plushie was devoured by the flames with a terrified scream.
"All your hard work," Mike taunted viciously, "the sum of your efforts, REDUCED TO ASHES."
Everyone shuddered at the sudden deep and inhuman tone of his voice, none of them as much as Charlie and Fritz. Though they knew that the flames would consume anybody who didn't win regardless, there was something more frightening about that infernal death reaching you because you were too slow to survive.
"His fate will be your own, if you don't pick up the pace," Mike warned menacingly.
Wall of Flame: 10 spaces from the exit.
GEOMETRIC ANGLES
Acute, Archimedes, Complimentary
"Oh God, not geometry!" Jeremy groaned, before taking a more careful look. "Actually, this isn't too bad."
"One of them is definitely right, and one of them is definitely wrong," Charlie thought. "But what about that third one?"
Fritz shrugged. "I don't care, I'm already dead!" he commented dryly.
"THANK YOU FOR THE EASY QUESTION, SCHMIDT!" Nightmarionne said with a condescending smirk.
Acute, XXXXXX, XXXXXX
Nightmarionne: ✓✓ (to 1)
Charlie: ✓✓X (to 2)
Gabe: ✓✓✓ (to 2)
Susie: ✓✓X (to 5)
Liz: ✓✓✓ (to 2)
Cassidy: ✓✓X (to 6)
Jeremy: ✓✓✓ (to 5)
"Oh, it was compleMENTary, wasn't it?" Charlie snapped her fingers in frustration. "Dang it!"
Nightmarionne's plushie advanced to the very edge of the hallway, with the Puppet, Freddy, AND Baby plushies stopping just behind him. More flames blasted out of the skull-like statues, a reminder of the fiery death that awaited them.
Wall of Flame: 8 spaces from the exit
[[NOTE: Begin looping 3:12-4:00 (No Escape)]]
The massive black iron gate slammed down in front of the exit, the final barrier to freedom and victory that looked every bit as terrifying as it had been last time. The music again escalated in intensity, signaling that the final stage of the round had truly begun.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mike asked mockingly, amusement dripping from his voice. "If you want to make it out alive, you're going to have get all three answers correct."
STUFF IN MISSOURI
Kansas City, World's Largest Pecan, Churchill Downs Racetrack
"And when I say all of them," Mike snarled, "I mean ALL OF THEM."
Churchill Downs Racetrack
Nightmarionne's eyes flashed with fury. "WHO IN THE ACTUAL FUCK GIVES A SHIT ABOUT WHAT'S IN MISSOURI?" he raged.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with you," Gabe muttered.
"…isn't Missouri in the middle of nowhere?" Charlie asked in a dry tone.
"I REALLY don't need this when I'm 2 spaces away from getting killed by the flames!" Cassidy complained.
Kansas City, World's Largest Pecan, XXXXXX
Nightmarionne: XX✓ (at 1)
Charlie: X✓✓ (to 1)
Gabe: X✓X (at 1)
Susie: XX✓ (to 4)
Liz: X✓X (to 1)
Cassidy: XXX (at 6)
Jeremy: XX✓ (to 4)
"Are you kidding me?" Cassidy exclaimed in disbelief. "I got NONE of them right?"
"Pathetic," Mike snarled. "Absolutely PATHETIC!"
"BAH," Nightmarionne spat as his plushie crashed into the gate and was repelled. Charlie's ghostly plushie advanced and also collided against the gate as Liz's and Gabe's plushies advanced into the same row. There was another flash of light, and the Puppet plushie claimed the Nightmarionne plushie's life force once again as every other plushie was pushed back to 2 rows away from the exit.
"Noooooo, my Golden Freddy plushie!" Cassidy wailed as flames poured down the next two rows. The Golden Freddy plushie was caught in the roaring fires, and just like the Foxy plushie it was consumed with a terrified scream, the flames destroying it so thoroughly that there weren't even ashes left behind. "Dammit, I got such a bullshit question!"
"Nothing in your future but shadow and flame," Mike hissed, eliciting another shudder from the kids.
Wall of Flame: 6 spaces from the exit.
[[NOTE: Begin looping 4:00-end (The Window through Madness)]]
Demented laughter suddenly erupted around the ghost kids and Nightmarionne, a hideous cackling that seemed to cut deep into their ears and souls. As the ghost kids waited nervously for the next question, Fritz looked up and grabbed at his nearest sibling's shoulder, who happened to be Liz.
"Uh…g-guys?" he called in a timid voice, pointing at the opposite balcony. The ghost kids looked at where he was gesturing with his finger…and instantly recoiled in horror.
In both this final round and the last, the area above the opposite balcony (and surrounding them on their own, for that matter) had been covered in shadows, an empty dark void. But now, those shadows were filled with over a hundredglowing red eyes, all glaring menacingly at the players like predators waiting for just the right moment to devour their prey.
And it wasn't just the other side. The ghosts jolted as they realized that the shadows behind them were now filled with those same scarlet eyes, even more terrifying with how close they were. A few lone figures began to crawl out of the unseen horde just close enough to be made visible by the glow of the flames in the chamber, and Charlie gasped as she recognized some of the very same shadowy monsters that Mike had summoned in his battle against William's demonic armies. A shadow Xenomorph, a shadow chimera, a berserker wearing a demonic horned helm carrying a great battle axe wreathed in dark flames, all of them staring at the ghost kids and Nightmarionne with their fangs bared in sadistic glee.
Gabe looked over at Charlie, unable to keep the fear out of his voice. "Charlie…is this what you saw, back when Dad and William were fighting?"
Charlie's voice was barely raised above a whisper. "Yes."
"No wonder you didn't want me to see," the former Freddy inhabitant murmured.
"EVERYONE HAS A DARK SIDE," Nightmarionne hissed with all amusement gone from his voice, and the ghost kids couldn't tell if his next words were spoken genuinely or mockingly. "YOU CAN LEARN THAT LESSON THE EASY WAY OR THE HARD WAY."
"Why do I feel like everyone here's learning it the easy way except Charlie?" Liz thought worriedly.
FILMS SCORED BY JOHN WILLIAMS
Gladiator, Schindler's List, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
"Ooh, John Williams!" Jeremy exclaimed with delight, his fear temporarily forgotten. "I love John Williams, he's such a great movie composer!"
"We've seen a LOT of movies with dad, but I don't remember us actually talking about who makes the music for those!" Susie commented.
"Didn't one of the Marshalls talk about playing the Harry Potter theme for a concert or something?" Liz wondered.
Fritz shrugged. "I have no clue," he muttered.
XXXXXX, Schindler's List, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Nightmarionne: X✓✓ (to 1)
Charlie: X✓✓ (at 1)
Gabe: XX✓ (to 1)
Susie: XX✓ (to 3)
Liz: ✓X✓ (to 1)
Jeremy: X✓✓ (to 2)
"A wonderful performance," Mike taunted, "…if you were trying to FAIL!"
"ARRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Nightmarionne snarled furiously. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I MESSED UP GLADIATOR AND JOHN WILLIAMS!"
"I honestly thought Gladiator was done by John Williams too," Charlie admitted, shaking her head in disappointment at herself. "And I can't believe I forgot Schindler's List! That's such an amazing song!"
Charlie's plushie crashed into the gate again, and this time every plushie apart from Susie's and Jeremy's made it to the same row as Charlie's. Unfortunately for the ghost kids, Nightmarionne's plushie had priority due to its position, and it was his plushie that Mike resurrected while the others were pushed back.
"Those flames are getting REALLY close…" Gabe muttered nervously. Right on cue, the skulls flanking the next two rows unleashed their hellish flames, engulfing the space where Susie's ghostly Chica plushie had been seconds earlier. Even then, the blond ghost girl couldn't rest easy, as her plushie was only one space away from destruction.
Wall of Flame: 4 spaces from the exit
The chilling laughter echoing around the chamber grew even louder, and more shadow figures began to step out of the shadows, both on the players' side and on the opposite side. Though a few of these were still monsters like shadow Xenomorphs and Outriders, many more of these shadows were the heavily armored warriors and sinister dark sorcerers that Mike had summoned en masse to fight William's demons. All of them were snarling or laughing cruelly at the players, as if savoring their upcoming demise. And was it just their imagination, or were the legions and monsters closer to them than they had been seconds earlier?
Suddenly, all the ghost kids and even Nightmarionne had a much greater understanding of the battle that had unfolded in Mike's head against William…and how Mike had drawn upon the worst aspects of his character to brutally crush the sociopathic murderer.
FOOD NAMED AFTER PEOPLE
Kung Pao Chicken, Cobb Salad, Fettucine Alfredo
"Aww man!" Susie groaned. "I should know this, I love cooking!"
Cassidy shrugged. "Don't look at me, I like to cook almost as much as you do but I don't know a thing about this!"
Gabe's eyes widened in horror. "Oh God, if somebody doesn't make it through, everyone besides whoever's in the lead is going to die!" he exclaimed.
"Wait, WHAT?" Liz spluttered.
"We always get pushed back whenever somebody comes back to life in that last row," Gabe explained frantically. "And those flames move up two spaces every turn. So that means…"
The same realization hit them all, and suddenly the stakes became MUCH higher. Whether any of them succeeded or not in getting a perfect answer, every plushie except one was about to die.
"God, I don't know this!" Susie babbled almost incoherently. "I DON'T KNOW THIS!"
"We're all screwed, aren't we?" Jeremy asked gloomily.
"WHY DO YOU ASK THAT AS IF YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER?" Nightmarionne sneered.
Kung Pao Chicken, Cobb Salad, Fettucine Alfredo
Nightmarionne: X✓✓ (at 1)
Charlie: ✓✓X (to 1)
Gabe: X✓✓ (to 1)
Susie: X✓X (to 2)
Liz: X✓✓ (to 1)
Jeremy: ✓XX (to 1)
"It was ALL OF THEM?" Gabe exclaimed. "NO WAY!"
"I thought at least ONE of them would be a bullshit answer!" Liz added in disbelief. "How can they ALL be correct?"
"We lose…" Jeremy groaned.
"…YOU DANGLED IN FRONT OF US A TRUTH THAT WE WOULD NOT POSSIBLY BELIEVE," Nightmarionne growled with grudging respect. "WELL PLAYED, SCHMIDT."
Their complaints were interrupted by the sound of Mike's laughter. It was controlled and almost calm at first, but with every second that passed, it grew more mocking and viciously triumphant, until there was barely anything human about it. "Heh heh heh heh heh…heh HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA…Ą̛͖̠̝̮̬̦ ҉͎̙̙̰͖͓̯̭H̙̖̟A̢͎̲ ̙͚͇̮̖̣̮̖͟HA͜҉͎͉͍͖͈͙ ͏̥̟H̨̢̜̹̮͟A̷̷̬͚̠̩̕ ̳͔͍̙̳͕̜HÀ̶̩̺̠̮͕ͅͅ ̖̱̗́͞H͢͏͎̻̣A̼̝̟̥̜̕ ͕̱͟ͅH̞̟͡A̛̗̣̝͍̮͖̭͞ͅ ͝҉̧̩̯̜̘̤͕̘̳H̱̳̟͟A̺̙̠̪͇̙ ̵̧͙̣H̡̧̛̞̰͉͔̣Ḁ̶̢̧͓̝̪ ̞͖̩̩̭͎̪̝̖̀͡H͖͚̟̗͈A͇͍͉̙̳͈̜̬͘͢͜!"
Nightmarionne's plushie collided into the gate, one last futile push to avoid its demise. The other plushies except for Susie's all advanced to the edge of the gate, some of them crashing into it and being repelled as well, before Charlie's Puppet plushie restored itself to life with a flash and pushed the others back…
…right into the rage of Mike's infernal trap.
"Our plushies!" Liz wailed as the skulls unleashed their flames, annihilating every single plushie except for Charlie's. The ghostly plushies screamed in despair and terror as they were consumed by the firestorm, a dark reflection of how all the effort the ghost kids and Nightmarionne had put into the game had been reduced to nothing but failure and defeat. The ghost kids stared numbly at the edge of the firestorm, still trying to comprehend the fact that all of them except for Charlie had been wiped out of the game.
"BIRDS OF A FEATHER…" Mike hissed, "̠̳̣̬̻̱͈̩͈͢.͇͔̭̗̯̖̣̕͝.̵̜͖̞̞̗͎̠̠͠.̵̸̯̜̰̝̭̺̻͓Ç̖̝͇̬̞͘A̰̻̘̫̥̠͜Ņ̩̣̠̙͎ ͖̮͔͜D̸̠IE̘̰̣̺̗̙͈̫̹̕ ̜̘͞͡T̖̭͕͚̱̺͕͕́Ǫ̞̤͓̩̭̣͘G̳̬̩̱̳̘͚͞E̤͙͕̪̯̬̳͍T̶̸̞̲͠H̻̥̭̞̫̥̳̯́͠E͏̪̱̺̻͙̻R̞͇͢͜͠.̢̭̪̼̥͙̺͎̻̟"̛̞̠̖̪̤̗̮ (...CAN DIE TOGETHER)
Wall of flame: 2 spaces away from the exit
By now, the opposite balcony and the space behind them was filledwith Mike's shadow monsters and warriors, their laughter nearly reaching a fever pitch. Every could now clearly see the creatures that made up Mike's shadow legions in all their dark glory, not the least of which was because more than a few of them were now merely inches away from where they were standing. Though they made no move to attack or even advance any closer, the intensity in their gazes was more than enough to make the ghost kids tremble. Even Nightmarionne remained silent, his thoughts on these creatures unfathomable to those around him.
"ONLY ONE REMAINS," Mike's demonic voice growled mockingly. "ONE LIGHT SURROUNDED BY SHADOWS. ONE LAST CHANCE TO ESCAPE. WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?"
KUUBLER-ROSS FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF
Anger, Despair, Bargaining
A light went off in Charlie's head, shining even through her fear. "I remember this…" she murmured. "I remember this! I was talking about this with Dad a few days ago. Back when we were talking about my interest in psychology!"
"You can do this, Charlie!" Susie cheered.
"Yeah, you've got this!" Fritz added.
"Come on, sis, win!" Liz urged.
"YOUR FATE IS IN YOUR OWN HANDS," Nightmarionne hissed. "CHOOSE WISELY."
"What were they…what were they?" Charlie thought fervently. "Denial…anger…bargaining…acceptance…I can't remember the last one though! WAS despair one of them?"
"MAKE YOUR CHOICE," Mike warned, "AND MAKE IT SOON."
"All of them? But that doesn't sound right…that second one…something's not right about that second choice…" Trusting her instincts, Charlie pressed on the first and third answer choices, and submitted.
"IT ALL RIDES ON THIS," Mike declared.
Anger, XXXXXX, Bargaining
Charlie: ✓✓✓
"YES!" Gabe whooped.
"You did it!" Cassidy cheered happily. "YOU DID IT!"
"Charlie wins!" Fritz exclaimed. "I knew she could do it!"
"Way to go!" Jeremy added with a silly grin on his face.
"WHOO!" Charlie declared with delight, pumping a fist in the air in triumph as, down below, her Puppet plushie charged at the gate, and this time, the imposing barrier lifted upward, allowing it to pass. The lone surviving plushie flew into the light at the exit and vanished, the light itself fading away seconds later. Immediately, the shadow creatures and legionnaires stopped laughing and vanished back into the darkness, the glowing red eyes extinguishing themselves instantly without leaving any trace behind. The last few skull statues left unleashed their flames, filling in the last few rows of the chamber.
Just as they had before, the flames suddenly exploded upward in the shape of the same hellish visage from earlier: a nightmarish demonic head with a jaw and eyes that blazed with unholy power. Having already seen this before, the ghost kids were less frightened by the infernal finale that Mike had chosen for his game, though they were still clearly unnerved. Nightmarionne, on the other hand, stared at the explosion with undisguised awe, and couldn't help but feel disappointed that he had not been in the room to witness Mike's brutal triumph over William personally.
High above them, the flames faded away, and a big screen flickered to life. A newspaper clip appeared with the still-living Puppet plushie in the forefront. "CHARLIE WINS IT ALL! SWEEPS AWAY COMPETITION WITH $5700 PRIZE."
"Oh, and a bunch of other people died, but who gives a shit."
"Really, dad?" Susie pouted. This time, however, when the screen vanished, it was followed by photographs of the ghostly plushies, each with a…less-than-respectful description of how they had died.
Nightmarionne: $5850. Cause of death: couldn't get the fuck out when he had the chance
Gabe: $5050. Cause of death: got fucked by a bunch of dice
Susie: $3850. Cause of death: shit at scratching tickets
Liz: $3550. Cause of death: wrecked by the Loser Wheel
Cassidy: $3550. Cause of death: stabbed in the ass
Jeremy: $3550. Cause of death: blown the fuck up
Fritz: $3500. Cause of death: couldn't type for shit
Liz sighed and rolled her eyes in exasperated amusement. "That's dad, all right," she commented dryly. "Also, the Loser Wheel is still bullshit!"
"That description of how I died makes me cringe," Cassidy pouted.
"Thanks for screwing me over with that dice game," Gabe drawled.
"Of course he'd make fun of how we died," Jeremy deadpanned.
"I GOT FUCKED BY ONE HARD QUESTION AFTER ANOTHER!" Nightmarionne complained. "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EASY ONES LIKE LEAP YEAR OR HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS?"
"I have no idea where Dad even got the idea for these," Charlie muttered. Secretly, however, she and all the ghost kids were relieved by Mike's return to dry, irreverent humor. It was something they needed to take their minds off the horror elements that Mike had incorporated into the final round…especially the shadow monsters.
"Why didn't dad put this up the first time?" Fritz asked.
"Because, uh…I kinda forgot," Mike admitted. Though his voice still echoed with a force that seemed to be everywhere and nowhere, his tone and personality had returned to what they expected from the man who had adopted them into a new family. "Better late than never."
"Hey dad!" the kids called out to him cheerfully, their fear mostly forgotten.
"Well that was Trivia Murder Party for you guys!" Mike greeted them cheerfully. "I wanted you guys to have fun, but I also wanted to scare you. Did I succeed?"
"HELL YEAH!" Fritz exclaimed with delight. "I can't remember the last time I've had this much fun! SO much more awesome than just playing a video game."
"I know, right?" Cassidy gushed. "Playing this inside your mind was like actually being inside the game itself! So much more exciting!"
"Those shadowy monsters, those walls of flame…" Gabe shuddered with both exhilaration and fear. "Yikes, dad. No wonder you kicked William Afton's sorry ass so easily!"
"I know we've only had two of them," Jeremy added, "but this was the spookiest Halloween ever."
Charlie smiled, doing her best to hide her worries and the lingering traces of fear. "I'm just glad I won that game," she declared. "That was really down to the wire!"
"AN EXCELLENT ADAPTATION TO AN EXCELLENT GAME," Nightmarionne's eldritch voice interrupted them. The demon lord was grinning, and to the surprise of the ghosts his expression seemed genuinely appreciative with only the faint traces of the malice one would expect from a demon lord. "WELL DONE, SCHMIDT. THOUGH I WAS INITIALLY SKEPTICAL, I CAN NOW CONSIDER MY HALLOWEEN NIGHT WELL SPENT INDEED."
Though he was unseen, everyone could hear the smile in Mike's voice. "Good game, Nightmarionne."
"GOOD GAME. AND I SUPPOSE I SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE CHARLIE FOR HER VICTORY," the unholy incarnation of the Puppet nodded once towards the girl's direction. He was about to say more, but suddenly tilted his head in one direction, as though he were listening to someone or something else. "IT APPEARS I MUST DEPART NOW, FOR NIGHTMARE HAS SUMMONED US FOR…INFERNAL BUSINESS."
"Less we know about that the better," Fritz muttered, then trailed off as Nightmarionne fixed his gaze upon him.
"THE TOPIC TO BE DISCUSSED MAY BE OF MORE INTEREST TO YOU THAN YOU THINK," Nightmarionne suggested, "BUT THAT IS A TOPIC FOR ANOTHER DAY." Then, without another word, the demon lord's body dissolved into shadows and vanished. The ghost kids and Mike felt his presence leave his mindscape, signaling his departure.
"So…you might have wondered why I went all out with scaring you guys in the final round," Mike addressed the ghost kids once their attention was back on him. "The reason why is simple. Like every person, I have a dark side. A dark side that I unleashed upon William Afton when he tried to invade my mind and attack me from within. A dark side that I used to utterly CRUSH him. Charlie saw me at my very worst that night, something that I was completely unaware of and definitely didn't want to happen."
"Like you said earlier, Gabe, this is why I didn't want you to see," Charlie murmured to him, with the former Freddy inhabitant wordlessly nodding back in understanding.
"I don't want you guys to ever actually see me at my worst, but at the same time, there's always the chance that one day, when shit well and truly hits the fan, I snap and lose control," Mike continued solemnly. "And I think it's necessary for you guys to know and understand just how dark I can be without me actually acting on it. A mistake I've already made with Charlie, and I definitely don't want to make with the rest of you. I can't promise that there won't come a time when I snap again, but at the very least you know about my inner darkness now, and the surprise won't be so terrible because of that. Do you understand?"
The ghost kids nodded. "We do…" they murmured their acknowledgement. In the back of their minds, they could still see the shadowy monsters and hellish flames. And though they had been terrifying in their own right…
…it would have been nothing compared to seeing their father unleash his rage and hatred in full. The broken, mangled corpse-spirit of William Afton was proof enough of that.
"Good," Mike acknowledged. "Now, I think it's time for all of you to leave my mind and go to bed. It's been a LONG Halloween night, that's for sure."
"Goodnight, dad!" the ghosts chorused as Charlie gathered them together to leave Mike's mindscape.
"Goodnight, kids…"
Meanwhile in Hell, Nightmare's Throne Room…
A pillar of shadows erupted from the black obsidian floor, and Nightmarionne emerged. The demonic incarnation of the Puppet looked up towards the throne where his brother and lord sat, looking at him with mild amusement.
"I TRUST THAT YOU ENJOYED YOUR EVENING, BROTHER?" Nightmare asked with more than a hint of amusement in his tone.
"YES…" Nightmarionne answered, his glowing eyes and widened grin highlighting his good mood. "SCHMIDT'S GAME WAS QUITE ENTERTAINING."
"I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED YOURSELF," Nightmare replied dryly, "BUT NOW IT IS TIME FOR BUSINESS." The demon lord straightened his posture on his throne, opened his mouth, and roared. One by one, the rest of the Nightmares appeared, arriving from various sections in the palace to gather at the foot of Nightmare's throne.
"WELCOME, BROTHERS AND SISTER…" the demon lord greeted them. "I HAVE GATHERED YOU HERE TO DISCUSS THE TORMENT OF OUR MOST HONORED GUEST," his voice as he spoke the last three words dripped with mockery and contempt.
"WE HAVE ESCALATED OUR CRUELTY TO NEW HEIGHTS, MY LORD," Infernal Bonnie addressed him. "NOW THAT HIS PROTECTIONS HAVE BEEN STRIPPED FROM HIM FOR ALL ETERNITY, WE CAN TORTURE HIM IN WAYS UNIMAGINABLE TO EVEN THE OTHER REALMS OF HELL."
Nightmare raised his clawed hand to silence him. "IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL TORTURE, YES," he agreed. "HIS TORMENT HAS BECOME LEGENDARY, AND I AM PLEASED WITH YOUR CREATIVITY. HOWEVER, WE HAVE DONE PRECIOUS LITTLE, EITHER BEFORE HIS ESCAPE OR EVEN AFTER IT, TO BREAK ONE OF THE CHARACERISTICS THAT HAS FORMED THE CORE OF HIS PATHETIC, WRETCHED PSYCHE. WE HAVE DONE LITTLE TO BREAK HIS INSUFFERABLE ARROGANCE AND PRIDE, AND WE HAVE SEEN THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT NEGLIGENCE."
Silence fell as the Nightmares' thoughts turned to the Nightmare children. Though they had all recovered quickly, especially after being fed the essence of the demons that Mike had massacred and Nightmare had collected, it was still an uncomfortable reminder of the price they had paid for their complacency.
"LORD CONSEQUENCES HAS OFFERED ME SOME VALUABLE COUNSEL ON THIS MATTER," Nightmare continued. "AND AFTER SOME REFLECTION, I BELIEVE I HAVE COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO ADDRESS THIS…DEFICIENCY. WILLIAM AFTON BELIEVES HIMSELF TO BE SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHERS, THAT NO OTHER'S LIFE OR INTERESTS MATTER BEFORE HIS OWN," his mouth stretched into a fiendish grin. "AND I THINK IT IS TIME THAT WE EDUCATE HIM ON JUST HOW INSIGNIFICANT HE TRULY IS. BY NOT ONLY ENSLAVING HIM TO CONFRONT THE VERY SAME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HIS ACTIONS FORCED UPON OTHERS, BUT ALSO BY MAKING HIM THE LAUGHINGSTOCK OF THE ABYSS, REDUCING HIS EXISTENCE TO NOTHING MORE THAN AN INSIGNIFICANT JOKE."
The Nightmares looked up at their brother, intrigued by what their brother was planning. The demon lord's eyes flashed scarlet with the depths of his malice. "WE HAVE MUCH TO DISCUSS, AND PREPARATIONS TO MAKE," Nightmare declared. "AND WHEN OUR TASK IS DONE, ALL OF HELL SHALL SOON SEE IF WILLIAM AFTON IS AS SKILLED AS HIS SON IN DEFLECTING THE RAGE OF HIS CREATIONS…"
/
A/N: And I think we all know what THAT means…
So, the ghost kids know as much as they need to know about Dark!Mike and Demon!Mike that Mike feels comfortable sharing with them. He knows full well that he fucked up with regards to letting Charlie see him torture the fuck out of William Afton as Demon!Mike, and while he can't guarantee that he can completely keep his dark side in check, he CAN make sure that the kids know about it so that they won't be completely caught by a horrible surprise if the darkest aspects of Mike's character ever resurface in the future.
Man, somehow this "Halloween arc" ended up taking up most of November XD I thought that Trivia Murder Party chapters would be easy to write, but MAN was I wrong! I hope you guys did enjoy this final round though, especially with Nightmarionne's commentary and the return of Mike's shadow army (even if they only had a cameo appearance more than anything else).
Next chapter (whenever it comes out) will be FNAF songs, something so many of you have wanted for the longest time.
Hope you guys enjoyed!
